CN107209619B

CN107209619B - Clickable control panel

Info

Publication number: CN107209619B
Application number: CN201580073596.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 韩飞; Y·原; C·G·谭; B·T·裴; W·K·梁
Original assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd
Current assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2015-01-16
Filing date: 2015-12-22
Publication date: 2021-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 2035-12-22
Also published as: WO2016114715A1; EP3245577B1; CN107209619A; EP3245577A1; US20170329426A1; JP2018511094A; JP6757321B2; US10365734B2; EP3245577A4

Abstract

A clickable control pad, comprising: a top (101), a frame (103) and a mechanical structure (101a, 103b) for guiding a movement of the top (101) relative to the frame (103) in a direction perpendicular to the frame (103).

Description

Clickable control panel

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a clickable control pad, such as a clickable touchpad or touch pad.

Background

Touchpads are common in computing devices and accessories, such as laptops and Apple Air Mouse. Recently, touchpads have become increasingly popular in remote control devices for controlling consumer electronics appliances. The touchpad allows a mouse cursor to navigate and select applications and execute commands, for example, by a single tap or a double tap on the touchpad. Clickable buttons are also common and user friendly for the same purpose. Conventional clickable buttons are separate from the touchpad, as in most notebook computers. Prior art clickable touchpads integrate clickable buttons with the touchpad as seen in Apple Magic Mouse, Apple MacBook Air/Pro, and Sony Remote Control. The touchpad integrated with the button enables additional functionality to be added to the limited touchpad area. This results in a compact design, including buttons other than touch, tap, and tap gestures.

Prior art clickable touchpads use a hinge mechanism where the touchpad is hinged on one side and actuates a switch on the bottom surface of the touchpad when the user clicks on the touchpad. The hinge mechanism has the disadvantage of different click sensations depending on the position of the user's click on the top surface of the touch pad.

US2013/0155017a1 describes a capacitive sensing device with a bending mechanism that allows for "uneven displacement". This means that the movement comprises a rotational component, not just a translational component.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the invention, inter alia, to provide a clickable control pad in which the movement is guided to a desired direction (e.g. vertical if the clickable control pad is in a horizontal position). The invention is defined by the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. One aspect of the present invention provides a remote control device comprising a clickable control plate comprising a top, a frame and a mechanical structure comprising a plurality of cooperating protrusion-hole combinations and a plurality of resilient cantilevers or springs, said holes allowing a uniform vertical sliding movement of the entire top relative to the plane of the frame to maintain a force upwards to push the top during a click. Embodiments of the present invention overcome the limitations of the prior art by providing a uniform click feel when a user clicks anywhere on the top surface of the touchpad. An unlimited number of buttons can now be added to the clickable touchpad. Embodiments of the present invention overcome uneven clicking sensations and also overcome distracting clicking noises due to position and angle when actuating switches on the bottom surface of the touch pad. Embodiments of the present invention provide a solid and confident feel when releasing a click movement. These advantages in the present invention give the user an excellent feel and better acceptance in providing a touch-enabled handheld device, such as a remote control device. Another embodiment of the invention includes a wireless two-way communication link between the remote control device and the controlled device (host). This link allows the host to display context menus and wizards for the user to use related functions with finger movements and gestures on the touch-enabled top of the remote control device. Intuitive finger and eye reception in coordination with the host's response overcomes the "head-on" experience; where the user must move his head up to view the screen and down to the remote control device to locate the keys, even using the two prior art configurations discussed above, the user is still afflicted with using a conventional remote control. Another embodiment includes sound (using a buzzer) and haptic (motor) for sensory feedback to create a seamless control experience with the host. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described herein.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates how vertical movement is achieved according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top with a rectangular aperture and a mating frame with a protrusion according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a frame with cantilevers according to an embodiment of the invention; and

fig. 4 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The embodiment shown in fig. 1 allows for uniform vertical movement due to the protrusions and holes. This allows uniform vertical movement of the entire top to actuate the tactile switch. Thus, the see-saw effect (see-saw effect) of the prior art is removed.

The embodiment of fig. 2 has a touch-enabled top and frame. The top has 4 rectangular holes and is aligned with the 4 raised structures on the frame. The hole allows a vertical and uniform sliding movement when the top is pressed down during clicking.

The embodiment of fig. 3 uses a cantilever on a frame to support a touch-enabled top, stacked on top of the frame. The number of cantilevers depends on factors such as the size of the top and the force required to press the lever during a tap. In this embodiment, 4 cantilevers are used. The frame has 4 raised structures to provide contact surfaces around 4 corresponding holes on the top. During the click, the cantilever is deformed and exerts a return force. During release, the cantilever pushes the top upward and resumes its shape. The boss and rectangular hole and cantilever provide a uniform click feel which overcomes the disadvantages of using the structure described in US2013/0155017a1 (Rehn et al) and the hinge mechanism on one side.

The embodiment of fig. 4 comprises 6 parts: top 101, Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 102, switch 104, rubber pad 105, frame 103, and bottom 107. The top 101 has 4 rectangular holes 101a and is aligned with 4 raised structures 103b on the frame 103. The hole allows a vertical and uniform sliding movement when the top part 101 is pressed downwards during a click. There are 4 cantilevers 103a on the frame 103 that will maintain an upward force to push the top 101 during a click. When released, the top 101 moves upward and is stopped by the 4 boss structures 103b of the guide hole.

In another embodiment, a metal spring 106 is used in place of the cantilever 103a to support during release and apply a force upward during clicking.

When the top 101 moves down and up during clicking and releasing, the switch 104 is actuated to close and open by a plunger 103c formed by a projection with a shoulder on the frame 103. In the present invention, a metal dome is used as the switch 104. The switch 104 is mounted on the underside of the PCB102 or above the frame 105. Other switch, mounting and actuation embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

A rubber pad 105 is sandwiched between the switch 104 and the plunger 103c to overcome the loud click noise.

The base 107 provides support for the present invention and serves as the body of the remote control device.

In this embodiment, the actuation switch 104 generates an electrical signal for the circuit and provides a tactile sensation during a click. The electrical signal is then used to generate an action on the remote control device, for example, to wirelessly transmit a code to the host. In another embodiment, the actuation switch 104 provides a tactile sensation only during clicking. The electrical signal during a click is generated from the top 101 of the touch sensor with force sensing capability or z-direction sensing.

This embodiment includes a top portion 101 of non-conductive material (e.g., plastic) with an underlying PCB 102. The capacitive touch sensor is designed on a metallization layer of the PCB 102. The top 101 and PCB102 are held together with adhesive to ensure uniform capacitive sensing and reduce click noise. In another embodiment, a touch sensor layer (e.g., ITO) is sandwiched between the top 101 and the PCB 102. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the PCB102 is instead fixed to the frame 105. Depending on the metallization layer sensor design on the PCB102, the touch-enabled top 101 may have capacitive touch sensors that cover the entire top area or only a portion of the top 101 (e.g., only the middle portion).

In another embodiment, the rectangular aperture 101a and the raised structure 103b may be implemented using a capture design. Alternatively, pins in the top 101 may move in tubes in the frame 103 to ensure movement of the top 101 perpendicular to the frame 103; in another alternative, the top 101 may be provided with a tube, while the frame 103 has pins.

The present invention is applicable to remote control devices, human interface control panels, computing devices, and accessories with clickable functionality, such as mice, touch pads on notebook computers, and remote control devices with touchable features.

The invention is advantageously applied in a remote control system comprising a remote control device comprising a clickable control pad and a consumer electronic device having or coupled to a display device, the consumer electronic device being controlled by the remote control device, the consumer electronic device being arranged to display a cursor controlled by the remote control device on the display device, wherein commands to the consumer electronic device are given by a user pressing on top of the clickable control pad. The consumer electronic device may be, for example, a television set having a display itself, or a set-top box or recording device, for example, which does not have a display itself, but is coupled to a television set having a display. The cursor may be a conventional cursor (e.g., arrow shaped), but may alternatively be a highlighted portion of the virtual keyboard, e.g., displayed on the display screen, the highlighted portion being a virtual key on the virtual keyboard, the highlighted portion being located at a position corresponding to the position of the user's finger on the control panel. If the user then clicks on the clickable control pad at a location corresponding to the location of the virtual key, the virtual key is virtually pressed, resulting in, for example, the character being typed or the broadcast station being selected. In this way, the user does not have to look at his remote control device: he only views the display screen because his finger's movement on the remote control device will be represented by what is happening on the display screen. The present application is advantageously distinguished from US6765557, since the prior art document does not show a clickable touchpad: in the related art, the operator highlights a selected portion of the screen using a touch panel, and then the operator selects the highlighted portion of the display screen using control buttons. As a result, in the prior art, the user still has to take his finger off the touch pad to press a real key (instead of a virtual key) on the remote control device, so that he still needs to look down at the remote control device and then up again at the display.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A remote control device including a clickable control pad, comprising:

a top (101);

a frame (103);

a mechanical structure (101a, 103b) comprising four circumferentially positioned and aligned protrusion-hole combinations, the top comprising four holes of the mechanical structure and four protrusions of the mechanical structure being positioned on the frame, the holes being rectangular shaped and positioned perpendicular to the plane of the frame (103) allowing a uniform vertical sliding movement of the entire top (101) relative to the plane of the frame (103) when the top is pressed down during a click; and

four cantilevers (103 a) positioned on the frame to support the top, stacked on the frame top during clicking and capable of maintaining an upward force to push the top (101);

the cantilever deforms towards the base of the frame during clicking and applies a return or upward force to push the top.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each respective aperture of the projection-aperture combination is formed by the presence of a respective continuous frame, at least a portion of which is adapted to act as a stop member to connect the top to the frame and prevent the top from moving further upward beyond a certain point after an upward force has been maintained on the top.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a switch (104) on the frame (103), the switch (104) being actuated when the top (101) is pushed towards the frame (103).

4. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the top part (101) is a non-conductive material mounted on a printed circuit board (102) between the top part (101) and the frame (103) and having a metallization layer provided with capacitive touch sensors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein each protrusion is connected to the frame and each hole forms a portion of the top.

6. A remote control system comprising:

the remote control device of any of the preceding claims; and

a consumer electronics device having or coupled to a display device, the consumer electronics device being controlled by the remote control device, the consumer electronics device being arranged to display a cursor controlled by the remote control device on the display device, wherein a command to the consumer electronics device is given by a user pressing on top of the clickable control pad.